A Tint for the Untimid

Posted on January 4, 2012 by HFN Staff

Pantone continues on a bold and bright path, having annointed Tangerine Tango, Pantone 17-1463, as its color of the year for 2012.

This follows the equally vibrant warm hue of 2011, Honeysuckle. "Like Honeysuckle, Tangerine Tango, a spirited reddish orange, continues to provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward," said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. "It's a real attention-grabber on the selling floor or on a website."

And Tangerine Tango has many positive traits. It's "reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset," Eiseman said. It "marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy."

Already this magnetic hue is making a splash. Such fashion designers as Tommy Hilfiger, Nanette Lepore, Cynthia Steffe by Shaun Kearney, Elie Tahari and Adrienne Vittadini are using it in their upcoming spring collections. And many home furnishings companies offer the hue as either a main or accent color to add some pop, such as CB2, Jonathan Adler, Sur La Table and Le Creuset.

Eiseman has plenty of suggestions on which hues can pair up with this powerful color. Mixing Tangerine Tango with other warm tones such as an elegant wine hue like Syrah or Rhubarb Red, for example, or, "for a retro look," a hot pink called Cabaret are strong combinations, she said. Slightly greenish blues like Vallarta also work well. Warm taupey tans like Tiger's Eye and, "a special favorite of mine," a deep yellow green called Winter Moss are other winning couplings, along with "the summertime staple of White Alyssum and Tangerine Tango," she said. "It goes well with many colors that make for unexpected combinations."

Pantone has also formed an alliance with Sephora, the beauty specialty retailer, to create Sephora + Pantone Universe, which delivers color forecasting, trends and seasonal product collections which will include eye shadow, lipstick, lip gloss, nail polish and accessories, and which will be available beginning next March.